Top Takeaways:

• The Macau Health Bureau is weighing a full ban on e‑cigarette possession to reinforce existing prohibitions on their sale, manufacture, importation, and export.
• Officials will launch a one‑year pilot of designated smoking zones in high‑traffic tourist spots—such as Ruins of St. Paul’s and Border Gate Square—prioritizing education before introducing penalties.
• Growing concern over youth vaping is a key driver: e‑cigarette use among Macau students has reportedly surpassed traditional smoking rates, prompting alarm among educators and health advocates.

The Macau Health Bureau is moving toward a comprehensive expansion of its tobacco control policies by officially considering a total ban on e-cigarette possession. The proposed measure would complete the region’s existing bans on the sale, manufacturing, import, and export of vaping products—already firmly established under Macau’s tobacco control laws.

Lam Chong, head of the Health Bureau’s Office for the Prevention and Control of Smoking and Alcohol, emphasized that the proposal reflects ongoing public calls for stricter regulation. Authorities are also reviewing oversight of shisha and herbal cigarette products as part of a wider policy update.

Alongside the e-cigarette review, the bureau plans to test designated smoking areas in busy zones for one year—starting with public education before enforcing penalties. Proposed sites include the Ruins of St. Paul’s and Border Gate Square, with the goal of reducing “locomotive smokers,” or people who smoke while walking.

Public health stakeholders highlight the urgency due to concerning youth vaping trends. Tam Tik‑sang, project manager at the Bosco Youth Service Network, noted that “e‑cigarette use among students in Macau has now surpassed traditional smoking.”

Au Ka Fai, chair of the Quit Smoking and Health Promotion Society, added that both parents and teachers are reporting students bringing vapes to school—a sign of growing access and appeal among minors.

Macau’s current regulatory framework already bans most e-cigarette activities. Under Law No. 5/2011 (as amended by Law No. 13/2022), the manufacture, sale, import, export, and distribution of e-cigarettes are prohibited. Use is also limited in public spaces in accordance with smoking laws.

Despite these restrictions, enforcement remains challenging. In 2024, health inspectors fined 138 travelers for attempting to bring e-cigarettes into or out of Macau, highlighting the ongoing issue of cross-border transport.

Industry observers note that while Macau already aligns with some of the strictest approaches in the region, the move to criminalize possession would place it among the few places—like Singapore and Vietnam—with near‑total bans on vaping.

As the proposal progresses, regulatory focus will likely shift to how and when enforcement starts, and whether the zone-trial model effectively changes public behavior without causing too much disruption. For nicotine-industry stakeholders, the changing rules could greatly impact import, enforcement, and compliance in the region.